Being the amazing, true-to-life adventures and (very likely) misadventures of a writer who seeks to take his education, activism and seemingly boundless energy to North Minneapolis, (NoMi) to help with a process of turning a rapidly revitalizing neighborhood into something approaching Urban Utopia. I am here to be near my child. From 02/08 to 06/15 this blog pushed free speech to the envelope, so others could take heart and speak unafraid. Email me at hoffjohnw@gmail.com

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Hawthorn (Sic) Crossings Strip Mall Still An Open Air Drug Market...(Summer Visitation 2009)

Photo By John Hoff

The photo above was shot a couple days ago while waiting in the McDonalds drive-through at Hawthorn (sic) Crossings Strip Mall, buying my 12-year-old a chocolate shake. But I'm not complaining......at least the police were there frisking somebody. So often the parking lot and sidewalk perimeter is filled with no-accounts who barely bother to pretend they're doing anything BESIDES selling drugs. That's why I've dubbed this strip mall my "blog bitch" and I intend to write about the open air drug dealing at the location until something changes.

My friend who was driving while I took this picture--a dear, sweet friend who happens to enjoy rating the relative hotness of Minneapolis cops--promptly dubbed the officer in the photo her "Silver Fox."

Everyday I see live, real time incidents like the one portrayed in this photo.

Everyday I am stricken with the contradictory feelings of anger at the lack of respect shown by "suspect" and also pain and compassion for wanting to pull another human being up and help him out of a troubled, dysfunctional life.

I must admit I was slightly satisfied to see some white "suspects" displayed on this blog, as a reminder that bad things are committed by people of all colors.

I ask myself everyday, how do we (NoMi loving revitalizers) change a dysfunctional culture to make it healthier and productive?

A wise old man once told me - "before you can begin to help others, you need to first take care of yourself".

Does this saying fit the northside to a "tee"? I think it does. First and foremost, it does no one any good to "pack" neighborhoods with under-priviledged, socially disadvantaged residents, regardless of their color.

With that said, I don't believe that anyone can claim that the current "make-up" of citizens on the northside is healthy for anyone. Especially those that are living their and need help the most.

I believe that it truly does take a village to raise a child. However, when the village fails that child, I think you owe it to the child to take a good hard look at the "village".

People, especially young people, react best to POSITIVE role models. There needs to be more emphasis placed on this fact. Even if it means that a goal of NOMI should be to work towards a more healthy mix of inhabitants.

Let's not kid oursleves and say that the problem is a new one. In fact, and in all honesty, the northside of Minneapolis has inherited many of the problem "children" of other northern tier cities such as Detroit and Chicago. We all know that. And they're being segregated into the same "class" of living (in NOMI) fromw hich they came.

No problems have been solved and the "vicious" cycle continues to repeat itself.

It's like the little dutch boy with his fingers in the dike. He can only hold-back so many leaks before his efforts become an exercise in futility.

Assimilation into the US Maninstream society is the ONLY WAY that the standard of living can be realized for those on the lower rungs can be raised to an acceptable standard.. And that will not happen as long as people (on the rung) are packed into areas like NOMI.

I have met, and gotten to know enough poor people living in NOMI to know that most do not live there by choice. Instead it's out of necessity. And thse I have met that have children almost without exception wish they could move their children to a neighborhood that was free of the gang/drug/violience influence that prevails.....

What's the answer? Well, I believe that in as much that it isn't a neighborhood issue to begin with, that agencies such as the PEACE FOUNDATION are appropriately addressing the issue of a need for a greater role to be played by ALL of society (not just those living in NOMI), as it isn't a issue that residents of NOMI created. It's just one they are required to suffer through daily....

I agree with alot of what you said - but mostly you reference poor people, my problem is not with poor people, my problem is with people who behave badly.. really badly, anti-socially.

Now, sometimes they are poor AND behave badly. I have plenty of neighbors who are poor, and are really good decent, nice, productive, tidy, pleasant neighbors.

Sometimes there are neighbors who are not so poor and behave really badly. My next door neighbor works in the public school system, just finished her master's degree, her husband works, not sure what, but they have a double income and a breadwinner with a masters... and their young adult children are INTOLERABLE..... WTF???

How can we get at the root of changing behavior, enforcing what is acceptable and not acceptable.. across race, aross class...

We can all agree that it's bad behavior that is rotting our beloved inner cities across the country. Can't we?